FAQ

About Our Programs

Why does Byte Academy teach Python?

Python is consistently among the most popular programming languages. It is both friendly to those just beginning to learn how to code and powerful enough to become increasingly used at organizations like Google, Yahoo, and NASA. It is the #1 most popular introductory coding language at American colleges. Python was recently ranked the highest paid coding language for recent bootcamp grads according to a 2016 Course Report study.

How big are the cohorts?

Class size averages 5-15 students. Different class sizes are acceptable if we feel it doesn’t compromise the quality of our school.

Where are the classes held?

In the United States, our New York City campus is located in midtown Manhattan, one block from Grand Central:

295 Madison Ave, Floor 35
New York, NY 10017

We are also located in Houston, Texas.

Our Asia campus is located in Bangalore:

No. 13 Gurukrupa Mansions,Krishnareddy Layout

Domlur, Bangalore

What is the time commitment?

For our Immersive programs are full-time and meet daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Students typically spend 40 hours in class for the full-time program with an additional 20-40 hours spent of their own time outside the classroom. Part-time classes are held 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm twice per week in the evening.

Most of the projects and coursework will be done in class under the guidance of our instructors. We highly encourage students to challenge themselves by picking projects that are above their comfort zone, thus potentially requiring additional time to complete.

We encourage our students to attend technical conferences that take place during weekends or after class, Meetups to socialize and network, or simply dine with each other, all of which are outside the normal 40 hours per week guideline.

Do I have to learn on your New York, Houston or Bangalore campus?

Not necessarily! Our Pre-Work can be done online. And we also have online courses so that you will be able to learn from anywhere.

What kind of students are you looking for?

We are looking for students from a diverse range of backgrounds. We seek those who are highly motivated and enjoy a challenge. People who constantly want to improve and learn more and people who want to take their careers to the next level with programming but need a helping hand.

Why do I have to do the Pre-Work?

The Pre-Work will take you around 20 hours per week to complete. Since the very basics of programming can be self-learned, we want you to be familiar with coding before you start bootcamp. We want to get you ramped up so that you can start programming and then we will help you master your coding skills.

What kind of final project do I have to create and how many?

You will be required to create at least 2 final projects- one by yourself, one with your cohort. Your instructor will guide you in the scope of the work so that your projects will be complete and professional by graduation/demo day. Please note that your required final projects must be in the area of study you’ve selected; Data Science Immersive=final projects in Data Science. You may have more than the 2 required projects but you must complete the requirements to graduate. Your additional projects may be in any field.

What if I only want to learn programming, and not finance, data science or medicine?

You should sign up for our Full Stack Python bootcamp which teaches web development-including Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL, and a framework (Flask). Students typically pick up additional languages or frameworks for their final projects.

Careers After Python and Data Science Program

What happens after the program?

Our goal is to help you land the job you want. Although from Phase 1 (first 4 weeks) we start to prepare you for your job search, you will ramp this up after graduation in “Phase 4.” We’ll work with you on and off campus until you get a job.

Our graduates have access to the services of our career placement office for their entire lifetimes and are part of a strong alumni network.

How does Byte Academy help me get a job?

From the beginning of your program we will start preparing you for job interviews in the career of your choice. Our career placement office will also work with you to introduce you to a number of employers in Phase 3 and 4.

What is the tuition reimbursement guarantee?

Effective for cohorts beginning November 2016, if you are eligible for the tuition reimbursement guarantee and complete our entire full-time program without repeating while participating fully in our Career Services recommendations, we will refund your tuition if you do not get a job. As part of the bargain, we do expect you to be very proactive in your job search and will require you to work closely with our Career Services team. See Byte Academy Policies for full details.

How does tuition reimbursement work? Is my tuition refunded if I am not hired?

We will refund your tuition if you do not get a job within six months of graduating our full-time 14 week programs if you are eligible for our tuition reimbursement guarantee. However, you must hold up your end of the job search, which means:

Completion of our Career Services form within one weeks of the first day of class (this helps us understand you goals and come up with the best path to achieve them)

Completion of all career-prep check points

Follow-up and acceptance of all Career Services recommendations, including on jobs that will be relevant to your experience and program.

When communicating with Career Services you must be responsive and reply within 72 hours

You must apply to at least 5 relevant jobs per week and submit weekly job search logs to the Career Services team.

We will require you to track all the employers and positions you apply to, as well as dates, email correspondence, and application materials related to your job search. You’ll need to provide all of this to the Career Services team so they can help you as much as possible.

You must be eligible to work in the metropolitan area of your program and country of choice for 18 months post graduation

You must be willing to accept a job in a relevant field as recommended by our Career Services team.

If you live in a rural area or plan to move to one it is difficult for Byte to guarantee you a job. Therefore you must live in one of 23 major North American metro areas encompassing 100 cities.

You must explicitly request your reimbursement in writing within 15 days of completing your job search. If for some reason you do not hear from us you must have a written email record of writing to us.

You must be a fluent English speaker and writer and at least 18 years old

You must be able to relocate.

If you do not meet all of the conditions above you can still enroll and have full access to our Career Services team.

Python and Data Science Program Applicants

I’m not a US citizen. Can I apply?

Yes, we welcome students from around the world. However, we are unable to sponsor you for a student, travel, or work visa.

I have some programming background. Should I still do this?

We will absolutely address this concern in your initial interview with an Admissions Officer. During which we will discuss your background in detail so we may better gauge your experience and the ‘fit’ of our programs to your skill level.

Our courses are very comprehensive and the projects will be scaled according to your skill. We’ve met numerous Computer Science majors who have told us that their major did not provide relevant, career-oriented education. People attend our school, not only to learn programming but also to develop their experience in industry related technologies including FinTech, MedTech and Data Sciences and have complete projects to showcase.

Can I schedule an on-campus visit or speak to instructors?

We have frequent events scheduled at Byte Academy which we encourage everyone to attend to get to know us better. For a complete listing see our events page.

If you cannot attend one of our events please submit an application and schedule a call for more a individualized call that is pertinent to your background and goals.

Application Process for Python and Data Science Programs

What is the application process?

Your application to Byte Academy starts by submitting a non-binding application form online. Even if you just have some questions on the program, we highly suggest completing an application so that we can best speak to your needs before a call.

After submitting your application, you should hear from us within 3-5 days. If you haven’t heard from us within this time frame, please do inquire about your application at apply@byteacademy.co

Don’t worry if your schedule changes. We can change your start date as long as there are openings in your desired cohort. In the event that you are still undecided about a specific cohort, we’ll be happy to schedule another conversation at a time of your choosing. Students may also be put on a waitlist if a specific cohort is full.

Do I need any programming experience?

No. You do not need prior programming experience. By the time you complete our full-time you will be able to create a complete full-stack application from scratch. Also, every student who completes any of our full programs (full-time or part-time) will possess the equivalent in programming skills of a junior developer.

What is the next step if I am accepted to the program?

Hopefully you are well on your way to completing the Pre-Work, but if not-get to it! We won’t be able start you regardless of acceptance or even if you’ve already paid the balance. We may have to shift your start date to the next start or whenever you have completed the Pre-Work.

Next step would be to pay the balance at least one week prior to starting. If you are working with any of our partners (3rd party lenders) please get in contact with admissions for an update.

You should have also been invited to the Byte Academy community on Discord, the Instant Messaging platform we use for quick, informal communications. Please schedule a time to come to campus and sit with an instructor to set up your laptop in the week before your cohort starts.

What is the schedule for the classes being offered?

What are the school's policies for repeating, cancellation, withdrawal & refunds?

Is there financial aid available?

We do offer financial aid. Please see our financial aid page for details.

Python and Data Science Programs Accommodations

Do I have to bring my own laptop?

We will provide a monitor, keyboard and mouse but we do expect our students to provide their own laptops. We will help set up your laptop the week prior to starting your cohort.

Do you provide food?

Unfortunately, no. We do not provide lunch and dinner. We do occasionally sponsor pizza nights for special programs and have snacks and drinks at meetups and other special events.

Do you provide housing?

We do not provide housing but you may, before classes start, contact your classmates via your cohort Discord channel so that you can coordinate and share accommodation with each other if you so choose.